In September 2007, monks marching in Rangoon applauded as they passed by the British embassy. That is the sort of reputation British diplomacy should have. If we are to continue to have that respect in countries where the people have their true voice suppressed, then the kind of action outlined in Waihnin Pwint Thon's excellent article for the Guardian last week is a good place to start.

I met Waihnin earlier this year to support Amnesty's campaign to free political prisoners in Burma. I was struck first by her bravery and strength in leaving her family for a new life to study here in Britain, and secondly by her determination to bring about change in Burma. In doing so, she has the full support of her father, imprisoned for no crime and surviving in conditions unfit for any person, let alone someone struggling with a serious heart condition.

The Burmese junta has announced elections for 7 November. They will not be free. They will not be fair. And they will mark the culmination of a process begun by the junta to tighten its grip on the throat of Burma's people. The freedoms of assembly, of speech, and of political opinion have been consumed by the military state. When cyclone Nargis struck in May 2008, the junta had at least 29 people arrested and they remain in prison. A further 10 who accepted relief donations from abroad were arrested in October. This is the kind of mindless suppression that characterises a paranoid state, intent only on eliminating the most basic of rights.

On the prime minister's recent trip to India, the issue of Burma was not in the British news. But countries such as India and China have a vital interest, as well as a role, in Burma. So do all the countries of Asia. The danger is that "stability" is seen as an alternative to the rights of all the Burmese people. We need to use our partnerships with India, China and other countries in the region to make the case for accountable government and the restoration of basic rights. As the EU shapes its foreign policy, and as we consider how to use our influence there and in the United Nations, the real and ongoing suffering of the Burmese people must not be forgotten.

Alongside the fear and brutal repression in Burma, lies hope generated by the support the British people give to the people of Burma. Waihnin notes in her article that what we do, and importantly what we say, both domestically and internationally "did not go unnoticed back home". The junta is mindful of the international pressure that should be brought to bear. Its people may not have access to the media we do, but the junta know what is said. That's why it is so important that we do not go quiet on this issue.

Foreign Office ministers must of course raise concerns with their Burmese counterparts as regularly as possible. But just as important is co-operation with organisations such as Amnesty, and to be as vocal as possible whenever the opportunity arises. Radios are being distributed in Burma so that people can listen to the BBC World Service and other stations to get an understanding of what is happening outside the communication wall. We have to do all we can to get the message to them: they are not forgotten; the world is watching; and politicians around the world are listening.